BODY ENGINE
“THE MK2 IS A CLASSIC SHAPE ITS SQUARE LINES STILL LOOK GOOD TODAY”
The styling is a classic shape that is typical of the time and the square lines of the car still look good today so it doesn’t need much to improve it. So avoid retro-fitting big arches or similar, it doesn’t suit the car.
Instead keep it simple with a basic colour and, as always, there’s two schools of thought here — to chrome or not to chrome. Cortinas, like many of their siblings, look good with either so it’s down to a bit of personal preference here. But remember good rot-free chrome is becoming harder to find and costs a fair bit when you do find it. A smoother look can come from simply removing the bumpers or maybe just removing the front. Done properly, the result will be a smoother car that slammed over the right wheels, works well on the boxy shape.The Lotus model had a black grille which looks better than the original but other than that clean, tidy bodywork is all that’s needed. It’s worth turning to the model’s racing success for inspiration on looks and colour schemes that work — just make sure it has the bite to back up the bark.
The Cortina was the first Ford to come with the Crossflow engine, available as a 1300cc or 1600cc. Some earlier models came with the Pre-Crossflow but these are now rare. It’s a tuneable little engine and the bigger versions have been taken to over 180 bhp, but for that it’s worth looking at an engine swap instead. If you are keeping with it then it’s worth opting for the 1600cc version ideally from 1970 onwards as they came with the thicker-walled and stronger 711M blocks.
GT spec is the basis to start from, which means bigger valves or a Stage 1 head and an uprated cam together with a free flowing exhaust and a 32/36 DGV carb.This will give in the region of 90 bhp with a proper set-up. For more, a four branch manifold and Stage 2 head (with bigger valves) plus a longer duration cam will see up to 120 bhp.
You’ll need to swap to twin 40 carbs to help supply the fuel, and taking it further means getting a bit more serious. A Stage 3 and 280 duration cam head should see around 135 bhp but by now you will need to invest in some forged pistons, uprated mains caps, ARP bolts throughout and have the whole lot balanced.
An aftermarket ignition system should be introduced at this state of tune. Changing the pistons will also mean increasing the bore and together with an even longer duration cam you will be knocking on the door of 145 bhp, which is about as far as you want to go before the drivability suffers.
“GT SPEC IS A GOOD BASIS TO START FROM WHICH MEANS A STAGE ONE HEAD AND BIGGER CAM”
The Mk2 possesses a fair amount of space under the bonnet and thanks to that good-sized engine bay we’ve seen a variety of engine swaps over the years.This has ranged from good old CossieYB power to a Lotus twin-turboV8 so pretty much anything will go. However that doesn’t mean it’s easy or straightforward.
Pinto
Not the easiest conversion in the world to do but at least you gain a bit of space unlike other engine conversions, as the exhaust and inlet change sides giving some much-needed clearance for the master cylinder. If you’ve kept the steering box set-up, a sump will have to be fabricated to fit but a rack and pinion conversion will allow an RS2000 sump to be fitted saving the bother.You can also make use of a few other Ford parts, as a Capri 2-litre radiator offers enough cooling for lower levels of tune and is easy to get hold of.You can also use an aftermarket RS2000 exhaust manifold once it’s been fettled a little to fit. However sourcing and fitting the parts is the easy part as you will need to cut part of your bulkhead away to allow the engine to move back.
Gearbox choice will normally mean cutting out the floor as a five-speedType-9 ’box makes most sense to use.This can mean having to cut and re-fabricate a new bigger transmission tunnel — however Retro Ford Ltd now supply a replacement which can be welded in and saves a bit of time.
Zetec
There are two routes to do this, depending on whether you’ve kept the standard steering box set-up or not. If you have then a front-bowl sump will be needed to gain clearance. If you’ve gone over to the rack and pinion type then you can use a rear-bowl sump, which also allows the engine to sit slightly further back. Both sumps and all other parts needed to do this conversion are available from Retro Ford and you’ll also need a water rail kit as well as engine mounts and an alternator remounting kit.They also supply a suitable radiator to make the conversion easier. There can be problems with brake cylinder clearance depending on the type of induction chosen.To handle the new-found power you also need to link it to a better gearbox, and again aType-9 is ideal but requires work.
The standard single-rail four-speed unit that normally comes with the Mk2 isn’t up to much due to its poor ratios. The rarer GT model gearbox did come with better ratios but depending on the power output it’s normally better to change to something better suited for ratios and strength.
One option is to change to the stronger three-rail gearbox that came on the later higher-spec versions but they are hard to find now.You could track down aType E four-speed ’box normally found on the back of a Pinto. These are stronger and easy to find and fit, so it’s normally best to go straight to a five-speed replacement.
AType-9 gearbox conversion seems the obvious solution depending on what power you are aiming for but unfortunately it doesn’t go straight in. Part of the transmission tunnel will need to be modified or replaced although SeriesTwo cars normally have a bigger tunnel and therefore you can get away with minimal work in comparison. However, these gearboxes are not amazingly strong so if you’re going for bigger power then it’s worth either upgrading the bearings and gear kit, or for serious power it is best to go with theT5 ’box — which can be made to fit but will require more work to get it in.
“A FIVE SPEED CONVERSION IS THE OBVIOUS UPGRADE”
“YOU CAN BUY A COMPLETE KIT TO RID YOURSELF OF THE MK2 CORTINA’S OLD STEERING BOX SET UP”
The original interior is typical of the time, which means lots of vinyl! Generally they’re a nice place to be depending on what you intend on using the car for. As a cruiser the original seats are fine but are you’ll soon find them unsupportive when it comes to anything else. Even the more bucket-styled seats that came as standard in the 1600E model aren’t great for side support but offer a slightly better start.The higher models also came with the more desirable dashboards, which housed extra gauges mounted on top of or alongside the other dials, and it’s worth trying to get hold of one. Replacement seat covers can be hard to get hold of so sometimes it’s worth starting again with a pair of Recaros and getting the rears trimmed to match. For a two-door the stripped look normally works better so a pair of bucket seats, a roll cage and some homemade alloy or carbon panelling works well with the Cortina’s style.
“THE ORIGINAL MK2 INTERIORS ARE TYPICAL OF THE TIME, WHICH MEANS LOTS OF VINYL”